Andy Carroll signs £1.7m loan deal with West Ham

The big centre forward announced he would leave Liverpool last night. He agreed a loan to West Ham, and has the option of inking a permanent £17m deal next summer.

West Ham will pay a £1.5m loan fee to Liverpool and all of Carroll's wages for the 2012-13 season.

It was initially thought Carroll would try and get a move back to Newcastle, who sold him £35m to Liverpool in January 2011. He only scored 11 goals while at Anfield

However, Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers has made it clear Carroll does not figure in his plans.

"I believe it has been difficult for him in his period here," Rodgers said last night. "He hasn't played anywhere near as regularly as he wanted to and he wanted this to be a season where he was going to be playing regularly.

West Ham's manager Sam Allardyce, said: "I think for all parties this is a great signing. Andy is an all-round footballer, but because he is 6ft 3in and one of his strengths is his aerial power, everybody dismisses the ability he possesses on the floor.

Hopefully he can score goals for us and we will be in a very good position at the end of the year in the Premier League."

Carroll told media: "It's great to be here at West Ham and all signed up – I just can't wait to get started now."